NFL reporter Mike Florio: 'I think Tom Brady is going to be the QB of the San Francisco 49ers'
For reasons that may never truly be known and/or understood by outsiders, depending on what occurs over the coming months, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio continues to insist that seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady has merely "retired" from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a way to force a move to the San Francisco 49ers, his favorite childhood NFL team.
Florio, a league insider featured on weekly NBC "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts each season, first mentioned the idea back in January and has repeated it on multiple occasions. While Rich Eisen of NFL Network and SiriusXM raised eyes when he said Monday that Brady is still following his "TB12 Method" this offseason, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport later noted that nobody had yet told him the 44-year-old wishes to play for the 49ers this year.
Florio appeared on the "Sports Illustrated Media Podcast" Thursday and made it clear he's confident with what's become an ongoing prediction:
"He signed a two-year contract in 2020," Florio said of Brady. "He did a one-year extension last year for cap purposes...not because he wanted to extend his commitment by a year. You can call up somebody with the last name of 'Glazer,' you make the case (for the Buccaneers to trade or release Brady). Brought you a Super Bowl. Filled your stadium. Please let me go.
"I still think Week 1, he's going to be the 49ers' starting quarterback."
Florio added: "I think Tom Brady is going to be the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers in 2022."
As for the 49ers, general manager John Lynch has routinely had only positive things to say about 2021 rookie Trey Lance, who is expected to replace veteran Jimmy Garoppolo atop the San Francisco depth chart whenever the club trades the 30-year-old. If, however, Lynch and company honestly have doubts about Lance's ability to win on the NFL's biggest stages 10 months from today, Brady would make for arguably the greatest "bridge" option in league history.
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